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Police investigate possible suicide pact

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Police investigate possible suicide pact

Police are investigating the deaths by suicide of two young men in Cramlington, Northumberland.

The men have been named as local residents Christopher Harrington, 19, and his close friend Kieran Kenny, 20.

Christopher and Kieran attended the same school and later worked in a fast food restaurant together.

Newspaper reports into the deaths have suggested that the two men may have died in a suicide pact, although the reasons why they would take their own lives are as yet unknown

A spokesperson for Northumbria Police confirmed to the Northern Echo that the force is not looking for anyone else in connection with the deaths.

Christopher's father Peter told the Metro his son was a "smashing lad", while friends of the deceased men left tribute messages on social networking sites.

Research into suicide pacts

Suicide pacts are rare events, according to the International Handbook of Suicide and Attempted Suicide (Hawton and van Heeringen).

It adds that suicide pacts most often involve pairs of people, but have occasionally be known to occur among larger groups of people, such as extremist cults.

Cases of whole family suicide have also been recorded, most notably among asylum seekers.

The research suggests that motivating factors for whole family suicide have included extreme poverty and those escaping mistreatment due to their religious beliefs or ethnic group.

A 1997 study by Granboulin and colleagues noted a rise in the number of suicide pacts initiated between same-sex adolescent friends.

It noted that the adolescents' cases used for review in the study showed such teenagers "seemed to come from families with more dysfunction than the families of typical adolescent suicide attempters".

Suicide pacts in England

A 1997 study by Brown and Barraclough concluded that suicide pacts account for 0.6 per cent of all suicides in England, according to the International Handbook of Suicide and Attempted Suicide.

The book's authors examined several studies of suicide pacts undertaken in England in an attempt to build a profile of participants.

Their research showed suicide pact participants had an average age of 58, while between 72 per cent and 100 per cent of them (depending on the study analysed) were married.

Motivating factors for suicide pacts in England were most often found to be linked to failing health and social isolation.

Fear of being separated from a spouse, for example by one of the couple being placed in a care home, was also found to be a prime motivator.

Preventing suicide pacts

Hawton and van Heeringen state: "Although the precipitants of suicide pacts can vary, all suicide pacts seem to share certain characteristics."

Such characteristics include the couple or group withdrawing from society, resulting in the people involved becoming entirely dependent on each other.

The researchers claim this means preventing suicide pacts is particularly difficult, as the people involved are often socially isolated and have generally planned their actions in great detail.

However, organisations such as Samaritans are working closely with the UK government to develop national suicide prevention strategies.

Samaritans also continues to provide one-on-one support via its branches, telephone helpline and email service to emotionally vulnerable people.

Samaritans

If you are experiencing suicidal thoughts or emotional distress, you can call Samaritans for support 24 hours on 08457 90 90 90 (UK) and 1850 60 90 90 (ROI), or email at jo@samaritans.org, or face to face - visit http://www.samaritans.org/ for your nearest branch.